Since the Miami Dolphins claimed Zach Sieler off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens in December of 2019, he’s gone from a mostly unknown seventh-round pick out of Ferris State to a key cog in Miami’s defensive line rotation and one of the team’s most underrated players.
Sieler was one of Miami’s successful acquisitions during the first year of its rebuild under General Manager Chris Grier.
Sieler’s raw numbers don’t pop off the page, especially when looking at his pass rush production. He had just two sacks last season, and he was charted with just four quarterback hurries, three quarterback knockdowns, and six TFLs by Pro Football Reference.
For reference, fellow Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins finished with four sacks, five hurries, seven quarterback knockdowns, and 10 TFLs, according to Pro Football Reference. With all of that said, Sieler is a stalwart run defender making him worthy of recognition.
We’ve decided to look at Sieler’s film and stats to see what makes him such an underrated player.
ZACH SIELER FILM STUDY
Sieler shows consistent fundamentals allowing him to create disruption running plays up front and clog up running lanes. He understands hand placement well and how to use his length to get offensive linemen off his chest.
Those skills make him a perfect fit in Miami’s defensive scheme, which requires its defensive linemen to defend two gaps at all times.
This means if he’s preventing offensive linemen from getting downfield, he’s allowing Miami’s linebackers to remain clean and make impact plays in the backfield.
A two-play sequence in last year’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders perfectly encapsulates what makes Sieler such a valuable member of the Dolphins' defense.
First, Sieler stopped Raiders running back Peyton Barber on third-and-1, and then he followed it up by collapsing Raiders tight end Foster Moreau on fourth-and-1 to stop Barber short of the markers yet again.
Miami’s offense scored a touchdown on the ensuing possession with the help of the short field. Although Miami lost the game, 31-28 in overtime, Sieler’s two stops helped the Dolphins take an early 14-0 lead.
There are reps like this all over Sieler’s film where he bullies all sorts of opposing blockers with his strength and power.
Sieler is far from a high-impact pass rusher, but his film includes some impactful pass rushes. He’s got a lot of power in his hands, allowing him to displace offensive linemen off the snap and prevent opposing quarterbacks from stepping up in the pocket.
He was credited with 23 quarterback pressures last season, which was good for fourth on the Dolphins behind Emmanuel Ogbah, Wilkins and Jaelan Phillips, according to Sports Info Solutions.
Sieler isn’t a primary pass-rush option for the Dolphins, but he is good enough as a secondary threat.
Another standout trait from Sieler’s film is the effort he plays with. He frequently runs down running backs as a backside defender and continues to work through blocks even if his initial pass rush is shut down.
A DEEPER LOOK AT THE SIELER STATS
Sieler’s stats and grades also prove just how valuable he is to Miami’s defense.
Football Outsiders credited Sieler with 47 run stops — the total number of plays by a defensive player that prevents a successful play by the offense — and a stop rate of 80 percent, which ranked 15th in the NFL.
Wilkins was charted with 58 run stops and a stop percentage of 75 percent, but Wilkins played 216 more defensive snaps than Sieler last season. While both are good run defenders, Sieler has an argument to be considered a more efficient run stuffer than Wilkins.
PFF grades should not be considered the be-all, end-all authority on the quality of play, but Sieler’s grades are hard to ignore.
His 84.9 overall PFF grade was the third-best in the NFL behind only the Rams’ Aaron Donald and the Steelers’ Cameron Heyward. Obviously, Sieler isn’t the third-best defensive tackle in the NFL, but he deserves more recognition for being in the same ballpark as players like Donald and Heyward.
Sieler also fares well when it comes to “average tackle depth,” which is a good indicator of whether a defensive lineman is helping to prevent big plays. According to SIS, Sieler finished 2021 with an ATP of 2.4 yards, ranking fourth on the Dolphins.
That number puts him in the same category as the Commanders’ Jonathan Allen and the Falcons' Grady Jarrett, both of whom have been voted to the Pro Bowl before.
Sieler doesn’t make the same impact as the more prominent names mentioned above because he lacks pass-rush prowess, but he does compete with them in some important areas, making him an underrated player on the Dolphins and in the NFL at large.
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